Police officers charged as Greece tips deeper into turmoil

AFP ^ | Dec 11, 2008 | AFP

[Blackyce]

Greece slipped deeper into turmoil, with a fifth day of clashes between youths and police, plus a general strike, as two police officers were charged in connection with the killing of a teenager that sparked the unrest.

Despite a vow by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to restore order, demonstrators battled security forces outside the Greek parliament as the nationwide work stoppage halted flights in and out of Greece and closed banks, schools and some hospital services.

[Travis McGee]

The thin veneer of civilization, crumbling.

[Blackyce]

"This death was the catalyst for many grievances," said 18-year-old farming student George Tzouvelekis, one of the protesters.

"Look how the banks are being attacked, because they have refused to lower interest rates amid the economic crisis... Everybody is fed up."

The Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry said 435 businesses had been hit, with 37 completely gutted.

How long before our own lefty nutjobs tak to the streets?

[silverleaf]

OK, I’ll bite- why is Greece tumbling into anarchy? What will be the solution?

[Canedawg]

I havent kept up with why there is so much anger in Greece that this incident has sparked so much civil unrest.

What’s going on over there?

[cartan]

Why is Greece tumbling into anarchy?

Bored sociology majors are pissed off because they won’t find a decent job with a PhD in Advanced Marxism. Moreover, after Greek law, the police may not intervene on school or university premises.

What will be the solution?

More EU subsidees.

[Cold Heart]

No more Greek military surplus ammo from Sportsmans Guide.

[livius]

Greece and in fact all the European countries (particularly the Mediterranean ones such as Italy, Greece and Spain) have large numbers of these “anarchist youth” hanging out around their universities and waiting to stir up trouble. If you remember the “squatter” movements of a couple of years ago, combined with the recent “antiglobalization” protests, these are the same kids. By and large, they are the privileged children of modern, comfortable parents (the kid who was shot was the son of a banker). They’re just taking a few years off on a lark to cause trouble, just like the idiots of the 1968 riots. And their “grievances” are either abstract things (such as why everybody else doesn’t want to impose Marxism) or entitlement matters - a bigger stipend for university students, more years on unemployment without having to look for work, a free apartment when they get out of university, a guaranteed high-status, high-paying job, etc. They’re basically the young white Obama voters in a different culture that has an established youth-riot tradition, so to speak.

There is an ideological core that manipulates these people, of course, and it would be silly to regard them as not dangerous. Anarchist may refer to some of them, particularly the young, emotional ones who simply want society to give them stuff and aren’t into systematic politics, but the people behind them are radical Marxists with a global agenda.

In addition, in both the US and Europe, these privileged youth uprisings rely upon their particular sort of lumpenproletariat, the ready-to-riot ghetto thug component, which is black in the US and Muslim immigrant in Europe. So yes, this is a dangerous situation, and I think it could well happen in the US. The election of somebody who clearly looks favorably on this type of thing (recall Obama’s encouraging remarks on the “occupation” of that factory in IL) will not satisfy them but only encourage them.

[Cacique]

Coming to a citynear you soon

[junta]

The maternal response is failing. So the blame must be placed on the indulgent behavior of some of the political class towards these kids, and then a good solid ass kicking must be applied to the leaders. All of this must be explained to the average greek if he could only put his Ouzo down for a second that if they want their country to function these brats and their enablers need that ass-whoopin.

[Gator_that_eats_Dems]

You can also bet that George Papandreaou is behind much of this. He is the leader of the Pasok socialist party and is seeking to topple the conservative Nea Democratia (New Democrat) party lead by the current president, Karamanle (sp.)

Mr. Papandreaou’s father was responsible for years of socialist rule in the 80’s. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

[TexasRepublic]

Q: why is Greece tumbling into anarchy?

A: Too many Marxists and Muslims.

Q: What will be the solution?

A: Thinning the herd.

[Rockiette]

The Conservative leader of Greece said much the same as stated here, the Universities are hot houses of hate, there are no educations available except those in communism and anarchy. The bad-sad part is that this is spreading throughout Europe, the haters are encouraged by the destruction caused in Greece and are imitating this “unrest” as an excuse to destroy. Spain, Denmark, Russia, Turkey and I’m sure, many other places in Europe, are seeing the anarchists begin their campaign of terror. The two policeman found responsible have been arrested but the bullet that struck the victim appears to have been a ricochet. The truth will not stand in the way, however, and the violence will continue to grow.

[apro]

Muslim immigrant population in the country are estimated between 200,000 to 300,000, that is about the same size 200,000 to 300,000 that the Roman Catholic immigrant population is estimated in the country. Percentage wise there are more muslims in most Western European countries then they are in Greece. Old Calendarist Orthodox outnumber them all at approximately 500,000 to 800,000 members. So yes I am aware of what is going on in Greece, thank you very much.

Greece's overall recognition rate for immigrants is very low, hovering for years at roughly 1 percent. That compares with 45 percent in Italy last year and 19 percent in Spain. About 3,500 Iraqis requested asylum in Greece in the first half of 2007. Yet a study comparing decisions on asylum claims in five EU countries published by the UN refugee agency in November, found that the chance of an Iraqi refugee's receiving immigration status and protection in Greece stood at zero. In Sweden, it was 75 percent. In its zeal to secure its borders, since the EU does nothing to help out, Greece is being accused of serious lapses in human rights and ignoring treaty pledges that bind it to give haven to immigrants claiming protection - rights established under international conventions. Refugees' lawyers say many migrants are secretly forced back. The EU makes a lot of noise to Greece about immigration issues that Greece turns a deaf ear to. Greece's stand on all this is: "if the EU doesn't offer to help to us out to handle the illegal immigration issues that our country faces, then we will handle it our own way." Some of Greece's solutions is using tactics that unofficially are not sponsore by the state although officials looks the other way and don't do anything to correct this "issues" raised by the EU. Common among Greek officials is a sense that faraway Brussels requires them to be gatekeepers for migrants entering the Europe's borders without having to deal with the stresses or offering much support. Greek officials say the EU could start to help out by urging Turkey to work with the Greek boarder patrol to actively stop illegal immigrants at the Greek/Turkish borders but the EU doesn't even do that, so Greek officials are forced to take things into their own hands, i.e. Eastern Greek border crossing for migrants is studded with land mines, the EU has been harassing Greece to get rid of them but Greece just turns a deaf ear to. EU Rights of Refugees and Migrants groups have been making accusation that the Greek Coast Guard was pushing back migrants' boats at sea. A number of lawyers for migrants say that the Greek police and army are secretly and illegally expelling migrants in very large numbers, they say that these deportations take place at night. Migrants lawyers in Athens, said that illicit deportations are an open secret and had been going on for a decade, indications are that people are being made to return by unofficial means in a very short period of time, some without being given the chance to request asylum, which is pretty sad cause some of them probably do have legitimate asylum claims but if the EU doesn't offer any help what are countries like Greece and Italy to do but take things in their own hands.

[apro]

The rioters in the last few days are not muslim immigrants, they are homegrown Greek anti-capitalist anti-authoritarian anarchists and hooligans, mostly youths and students are involved behind the riots. And this is not only in Greece -capitalist anti-authoritarian anarchists and hooligans causing this kind of desturcion are found through out Europe and they even made their presence felt in the States back in 1999 during the DNC. There might have been some mulsim among the rioters but they were not the bulk of the rioters nor was its supposed 'Islamic grievances' the reason why these riots in the streets of Greece took. These kind of riots are common in Greece and they trace their roots back in the Greek political culture of the 1970s. Anarchists are nuts, they hate cops, they come well prepared to fight with authorities, i.e. gas masks, motorcycle helmets, black hoods and masks to cover their faces, Molotov cocktail firebombs, etc.

The history of these organized and violent groups in Greece go back to the 1970s. The riots in Greece have nothing to do with economic inequality, most those rioting come from well off families, the kid who was killed went to one of the most prestigious private schools in Greece. Unlike the riots of Los Angeles 1992 and France 2005 the ones in Greece today do not have anything to do with race and immigration; the majority of the rioters were ethnic Greeks. The anarchy rioters have an ideologically motivated method of getting their 'message' out, whatever that might be, by destroying facilities like banks, stores, public buildings and other symbols that basically any society does need to function properly in todays world. The rioters actions testify that their aim is to create havoc without bothering to propose an alternative plan for governance and these kind of actions do not drive social change. Apart from the protesting students and the rioting self-styled anarchists no other segments of Greek society have taken part in a large scale in the incidents. A significant contrast with the 1992 Los Angeles riots in where they did involve race-based militias that escalated into fighting between criminal gangs whose members took the opportunity to settle their differences. The shooting of the teenager in Athens has not turned into a flag of convenience for disparate social groups (muslims, immigrants, etc.) who might have grievances against the government so they are rioting in the streets.

After the events at the Technical University of Athens in November of 1973 - when the military junta's forces brutally suppressed a student protest killing over 40 students, any violence by the state towards the civilian population has not been tolerated in Greece. Again Greece joined the EU in 1981, violent protests such as these existed in Greece since the 1970s when the EU had no say in Greek domestic politics....not that they really do now. The result of the 1973 violent student/military protest was the Greek constitution being changed in 1974 to outlaw LEOs and military authorities from storming universities and schools. This is one of the reason why such groups are able to regroup so quickly in the country is because the reasoning that was behind the constitution change in 1974 was a way of trying to underwrite academic freedom unfortunately this has been exploited by certain student groups, i.e. anarchists, who turn universities into havens for the kind of groups who have been rioting in the streets today.

Since the country has this violent past the Greek population is very sensitivity to state violence against civilians, which is why the authorities hesitant to use overwhelming force against them. To this day Greek police and military are not permitted to enter college campuses. The movie "Z" is actually based upon Greek military rule of this time period.
Z Film

If you look at who are the bulk of the people rioting; their symbols, flags, colors, etc. the rioters are decked out in black, they are symbols of anarchists egged on by the left groups and their some of their idiotic teachers who gave them a 'three day pass to protest', the black and red flags, the symbol "A", etc. They are full of communist signs in Greek, not green banners and signs in Arabic or proof of Islamic involvement.

Ok check out the irony of this picture: they are anti-capitalist but look at the shirt that the kid in this picture has on. LOL!!

Here you go, their idiotic German anti-capitalist anti-authoritarian anarchists brethren shouting slogans outside the Greek consulate in Berlin, December 8, 2008, after others forcibly entered the building

These are European anarchist youths common through out Europe, most come from well off families and they are very violent when they 'protest'.

The kid who was killed is Alexis Grigoropoulos, was Greek, he wasn't a muslim, he wasn't an immigrant and he came from a well off family and he went to one of the most prestigious and private schools in Greece.

[eleni121]

There are over one million illegal immigrants in Greece with a population of a little over 10,000,000

They are arriving mainly by boat through the parastate of Turkey and are causing havoc on the islands and everywhere they get to. Once they get settled they make demand upon demand. They march through the streets shouting Allahu Akbar! I saw that demonstration on my first day in Athens last year.

It's an invasion sanctioned by the EU and supported by Islamic orgs.

http://www.ncpa.org/iss/imm/2002/pd043002d.html

[eleni121]

You are so naive it’s patheitc -—to think that Islamics - over one million in Greece alone - are not reveling and salivating in this...and taking full advantage of the riots. More illegal migrants - that’s code for Muslims- were arrested the other day than the native born anarchists.

But no..you dream on...

[eleni121]

The explosive state of affairs is due largely to the fact that central Athens has be come Athenistan that is controlled by gangs od Islamic gangs coming in from shitholes of the middle east. The anarchists of course will latch on to anyone who supports them and boy do they- looting, killing destroying etc.

http://freedemocracy.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/a-rising-tide-of-muslims-migrants-unsettles-athens/

[apro]

"You are so naive it’s patheitc -—to think that Islamics - over one million in Greece alone - are not reveling and salivating in this...and taking full advantage of the riots. More illegal migrants - that’s code for Muslims- were arrested the other day than the native born anarchists. But no..you dream on...

BS. Those numbers I posted come from the state department. Illegals and migrants DID NOT make up the bulk of the rioters, ethnic GREEKS did who's protesting has to do with ethnic GREEK grievances. The majority of illegals and migrants don't risk being caught in such violent riots because if caught by the police they don't face the same legal protection that native born Greek citizens do: in other words migrants get deported without a second thought. Greek officials use any excuse under the book to deport migrants NEVER MIND ones caught acting up against the state.

As of 2006/7, the number of foreigners in Greece are estimated total out of ethnic Greeks who are 11,148,533 people[5] is at 695,979. The main ethnic groups ARE of European origins, not your phantom 'muzzies'.

[apro]

Greece is the only EU country who's capital has no mosques. Muslims are not the only migrant community in Greece. There is not a serious demographic threat of muzzies in Greece. The Muslim population is less then ~1.3%, that is among the LOWEST of any EU country. Greeks are very much aware of the consequences of Islam taking root in the nation which is WHY 99% of the general population is AGAINST building mosques especially ones funded by Saudi Arabia and why the general population doesn't complain when migrant from none European countries are harassed by the cops. Greeks have not gotten to the point that the French or Dutch are at, with 5-10% of the population of Muslim background and that figure will not rise since Greece supports the stricter line on immigration being promoted by the French presidency meaning there will not be another wave of allowing immigrants in Greece to stay. As I stated in another post Greek official have been conducting large numbers of deportations that take place at night. Migrants lawyers in Athens, said that illicit deportations are an open secret and had been going on for a decade, indications are that people are being made to return by unofficial means in a very short period of time, some without being given the chance to request asylum.